Australian Wood Review – June 2017

86 Australian Wood Review

I

n 2017 on a long weekend in mid-

February when much of mainland

of Australia sweltered in a record

setting heatwave, Tasmania was a

cool and pleasantly chilled out place

to be.

Since its appearance in 1994, the

biannually staged Australian Wooden

Boat Festival has gone on to win

tourism and community awards

while attracting steadily growing

attendances from local, mainland

and international visitors.

Reaching depths of 40 metres, the

Port of Hobart is one of the deepest

in the world. Situated at the mouth of

the Derwent River and in the shadow

of Mt Wellington, the harbour has

great natural beauty and a maritime

history stretching back to the 1700s.

This year an estimated 220,000

people flocked to the stage of the

picturesque Hobart waterfront

to soak up all things maritime,

with a lead role played by wood

and a starring role taken by

Tasmanian timbers.

From the gallery, café, bar and

restaurant strip of Salamanca

through to upmarket Hunter St,

Festival on the Waterfront

Record crowds flocked to this year’s Australian Wooden

Boat Festival. Words and photos: Linda Nathan.

FEATURE